Jose and Dolly's Conspiracy
by coffeecoffeecoffee83
Summary: AU regarding 'Lorelai? Lorelai'. An innocent comment from Lulu at Karaoke night prompts Luke to make amends.


*****Jose and Dolly's conspiracy*****

Lorelai gave a little shrug before unsteadily climbing down from the stage. All she wanted to do was to get out of there. All she could see in her mind was his face - that knowing face – as she had sung. She knew as soon as she saw him walk into KC's that it wasn't about Rory anymore. It hurt her to think that she could so easily forget her daughter. Her daughter who had forced her up onto the stage in the first place. Her daughter who was in need of cheering up, and had chosen that song for her to sing.

Yet, in he had walked. He had said that he wasn't going to be there that night. It wasn't his thing. He had no interest in listening to Patty and Babette's cabaret show, so why was he there? He had frickin told her that he had other plans for the night!

But he had walked in. He walked in and saw her up on the stage at the same moment that she had seen him through the harsh light of the stage. He had watched her sing – sing to him. He knew it, Rory knew it – the whole freaking town knew that it was for him. It was all for him. The little look on his face seemed to tell her that he was pleased that it was all for him. Just like she would always love him, he knew that he would always love the woman standing up there in front of him. It was a given, a fact of life – like gravity, or that Barbara will have yet another farewell tour.

Now, she stumbles as she descends that last step. She makes her way to the bathroom, where she is quickly joined by Rory.

"You're not going to be sick, are you?"

"Hmmm... no. Not right now. Maybe."

"I knew I shouldn't have ordered that eighth tequila shot."

"It was the only way I was getting up there." She slumped on the floor.

"Are you planning on coming back out? Your adoring public are waiting."

"Nope. Planning on setting up camp here. Nice proximity to the facilities. Far away from the people in the bar."

"Who? Your friends who love you and want to see you? Or Luke?"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be back in a second."

"Cool. I'll be here in my campsite. I may start a fire to roast marshmallows."

Rory walked back into the bar cautiously. She didn't want the whole world to notice that Lorelai had yet to emerge from her hiding place. Luckily, Patty and Babette had reclaimed the stage, and all eyes were on them. All except for one pair. They sat watching her from beneath an old blue baseball cap, and had real concern shown clearly in them.

She grabbed her purse, and searched through it until she found some loose asprin in the bottom. Brushing them off, she decided that they were suitable. She walked to the bar. The position in which Luke had placed himself left her no choice but to be within talking distance.

"We're gonna need a whole lotta water over here," she told the barman.

"Coming right up."

"Is she okay?" Luke asked.

"She will be," Rory told him. "She'll be worse tomorrow when she realizes she serenaded the whole town."

Luke blushed a little. "Yeah. The whole town." He ducked his head so he wouldn't have to see Rory's expression.

The barman handed Rory two bottles of water and took her money. Rory and Luke stood in silence as she waited for change, and watched as Kirk and Lulu walked past, heading home.

"It's sweet you know," Lulu was saying. "Alcohol makes your true feelings come out, and everyone knows that she's still in love with him."

Rory quickly grabbed her change and rushed out to deliver the water and asprin to her mother.

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and Lorelai dragged herself off the couch to answer it.

"Go away," she groaned as she trudged into the foyer.

She opened the door to find Luke standing there. Panic flit across her face at the recognition.

"Uh.... nobody has seen you all day, and Lane said Rory had gone back to school this morning. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't melted into a pool of alcohol."

"Not quite. Does seem that Jose Cuervo and Dolly Parton have been conspiring against me though."

He produced a bag of food from behind his back. "Hangover food. Pancakes and bacon; and double cheeseburger with chilli fries."

"But double cheeseburger isn't on the menu."

"Seemed like a double cheeseburger moment." He handed her the bag.

"Well... thanks."

"Anytime." Lorelai went to shut the door.

"Hey, Lorelai?" She stopped, and looked at him. "About last night...?" He hesitated. "Ditto." He turned and walked across the lawn.

Lorelai had the faintest of smiles on her face as she closed the door.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai dressed extra carefully for work. She wore her favorite blue wrap dress, which not only looked great with her eyes, but also clung to just the right places. Instead of straightening her hair, she dried it, and smoothed serum through it, knowing that certain people preferred it curly. As she was applying her lipstick, she stopped, and looked at herself.

Why she was doing all this, she didn't know. Why would one little word erase all the crap that had happened in the past year and a half? It shouldn't. Yet she still wanted to look nice for him. It was irrational. She wiped the lipstick off, and replaced it with clear gloss. That, at least, wouldn't look like she was trying so hard.

She walked into Luke's to find Zach behind the counter. "Coffee to go," she told him, and he instantly turned to get it for her. Just as he handed her the cup, Luke came out from behind the curtain.

The look they gave each other said it all. It was filled with apology. It was filled with regret. And it was filled with longing. And the smile he gave her was one that expressed just how happy he was that Lorelai Gilmore was back in his life after ten months of avoiding each other.

She returned his smile, and walked towards the door. As she opened it, she turned back to him again to find him still watching her. She flashed him another shy smile, before leaving for the inn.

* * *

Lorelai walked out the front door of the inn after a very long day. It was late – almost dark. The work just hadn't stopped all day. She hadn't been able to get away for lunch, and had drunk almost three pots of Sookie's coffee herself.

As she closed the door behind her, she saw a figure approaching the porch.

"Luke," she gasped.

"As I live and breathe."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. You weren't at your house.... so...."

She smiled shyly at him. "Yeah. I'm here."

"I just thought... maybe...."

"Yeah?"

"You might like to get some coffee or something."

"You don't drink coffee."

"But you do."

"Yes I do."

They stood in silence, watching the others face.

"I've missed you," he admitted.

"Ditto."

Luke reached up to run his fingers through her curls. She smiled at his touch. It had been so long since he had touched her, it was like that first mouthful of gruel after a famine. She closed her eyes, taking in all the feelings as his hand made its way to cradle her cheek.

Lorelai opened her eyes to find Luke only inches away from her. His free hand lifted to stroke the bare skin of her upper arm. Goosebumps appeared at his touch. She looked into his eyes, and saw the adoration that had been there years ago, in this exact spot. She knew that the same look was mirrored in her eyes. She reached up to touch his stubble-covered face, running her finger down his jawline, remembering all the contours which had been so firmly ingrained in her mind. It was so familiar, and touching him, felt like they had never been apart. She couldn't remember any part of Christopher – not like she knew every inch of Luke's body.

Her hand snaked its way around to the back of his neck, just below the bill of his cap, and she pulled him closer to her. She could feel his warm breath on her lips, and a second later, the soft feel of his lips against hers. His arms went around her back as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, and her free hand roamed his shoulders, feeling the muscles tensing beneath her touch.

Lorelai opened her mouth ever so slightly, and Luke took that as his cue. As their tongues touched for the first time in a year, she melted into him, her knees almost giving way.

As they reluctantly pulled away, in desperate need of oxygen, their eyes met again. There was a tiny tear threatening to escape from Lorelai's eye, which Luke wiped away with his thumb.

"I've missed you so much – you can't imagine," Lorelai whispered.

"I bet I can," he retorted, brushing his lips against hers again.

"Now, about that coffee you promised me..." she began.

He chuckled, and took her hand, kissing the back of it, before leading her towards the parking lot.


End file.
